Isle la Cache is a gem for history buffs. This is where I started to immerse myself in my French Canadian roots. Located on an island in the DesPlaines River, Isle La Cache was likely a rendezvous point for French voyageurs and their Indian trading partners.
The Will County Forest Preserve District maintains 107 acres, including trails, wild flower gardens, bee hives, and a French Voyageur museum. They regularly host re-enactments of the voyageur life.
The Trader’s Cabin and the volunteer re-enactors are a wealth of information especially about food, clothing, tools, and survival skills. Those everyday items are what intrigue me. As I write my novel, I weave small details into the story about French peasants. After all, most of the New France settlers immigrated from the French countryside and brought their skills and traditions with them.
Isle La Cache Preserve is on 135th Street east of Rt. 53 in Romeoville, IL .https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/preserves-trails/visitor-centers/isle-a-la-cache-museum/
Jeanne Meeks ~ Fiction Author 